I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a boat bumper for mounting to a dock, and more particularly, for boat bumpers having resilient cushions supported on frames which may be mounted to an underside of the dock.
II. Background of the Invention
various devices are known for protecting a boat from damage when the boat is secured or maneuvered alongside a dock or pier. Typical of such devices is the boat dock bumper disclosed by McKinney in U. S. Pat. No. 4,773,349. McKinney discloses a boat dock bumper including an elongated vertical plate. The vertical plate has an outer face covered with a rubber-like material to contact the boat. The vertical plate is mounted by way of a spring steel strap to the dock to absorb the shock when the vertical plate is contacted by the boat.
It is also known as is disclosed in Postma, U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,986, to provide a concrete dock with a wooden U-shaped bumper device having a pair of upright portions and a crosspiece extending beneath the dock. The upright portions of the bumper are received in slots formed in the concrete dock to receive the shock.
It is also known to mount a bumper to a dock support as disclosed by Westwell in U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,182. Westwell discloses a rub strip which is adapted to be mounted to a cylindrical dock support leg holder. The dock support leg holder is mounted to the dock to receive upright legs which support the dock in position. The rub strip protrudes outwardly from the dock.
However, the devices of Westwell and Postma are specifically formulated to be adapted to particular dock structures. The boat bumper of McKinney is suitable for mounting to docks which have lateral stringers at the edge of the planks.
The Postma structure is suited for use with concrete dock sections. These devices are quite costly. Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide an economical bumper device which is adapted to mount to a variety of docks or marine structures and which is easy to mount.